It all started when fusion-centric producer/musician David Kiledjian met Martinican singer Olivya Victorin with the notion of sculpting something different, maybe some creole-voiced, beats-informed nu soul and the result… Dowdelin. Now two albums and a couple of EPs along the road comes their third LP ‘Tchenbé!’ (on Underdog Records) and signs of a subtle shift in approach from this hyper-creative partnership.
Firstly the approach that Kiledjian and co take on this new recording was less electronic and more organic, using instrumentation rather than programmed equivalents, live percussion instead of digi-beats. If you’ve ever been thrilled by a Dowdelin live experience then ‘Tchenbé!’ feels closer to that sound. So the multi-faceted Kiledjian plays upfront guitars, keys ,flute and sax with band stalwarts drummer Greg Boudras and Guadeloupian Ka percussionist Raphael Philibert locking down the rhythms.
Something’s Going On kick starts an album which as a whole feels regrouped and refuelled. The song merges the unlikely combo of upbeat salsa sway and a mighty big beat hook with the usual Kiledjian panache and pop sensibility. The breezy sax and flute add fresh splashes while Victorin’s flowing vocal switches effortlessly from Grace Jones monotone to a smooth, graceful glide. Her vocal on the title track Tchenbé! is equally rich, a deep filled source of soul and emotion. It strides confidently alongside the bumping funk soundtrack which fizzes with frisky percussion and sultry keyboard strokes.
Both these opening tunes speak to broader feelings than Dowdelin’s love blessed last album ‘Lanmou Lanmou’. Reflecting on self-worth and ‘holding on’, the ‘Tchenbé!’ tunes come shaded by thoughts on loss, resilience and well-being. La dernière fois (The Last Time) has a nervous tension about it, Kiledjian’s time ticking pattern underpinning the swooning neo-soul ache which Victorin delivers. The Creole scented Sonmèy (Deep Sleep) could have been be a shabby chic mix of rumbling Ka percussion with emotive euro-pop but it maintains an emotional punch. It’s that blend of Kiledjian feel and Victorin’s expressive voice that keeps Dowdelin music sounding genuine rather than stylised.
Those earthy Carribean flavours seem more influential on ‘Tchenbé!’, in the line with the albums’ analogue foundations. Check in with the smoochy, samba of Ca Va Saturer or better still the skittering nu-jazz toned I Ka woulé (That’s The Way It Is). Here the Philibert/Boudras percussive partnership silkily meshes the song together as the perky bassline and vocal dovetail with contentment.
The real juicy surprises on ‘Tchenbé!’ come when Kiledjian’s more stripped back approach reveals itself in full-on, retro r n b swagger. From Mawé rips from clanging bar room piano, tightened guitar chops and fine hammered snare beats to a hook of fist pumping defiance. “ I’m about to get up/I will never give up” Victorin shouts out. With horn stabs and sax breaks, it’s a complete, in-the-bag three minute shakedown close to the rush of Moonlight Benjamin at her spell-binding, bluesy best. The revival takes another turn, closer to Motown and Bette Wright, on the album’s final song Do You. Here rootsy funk meets a cooing Tamla chorus while the handclaps, sizzling tambourines and a seamlessly worked flute-trilling coda make for a cut which a heyday Mark Ronson would bless.
Yes ‘Tchenbé!’ brings with it a pure pop thrill but as a partnership Dowdelin manage to expand on that immediacy with music that reaches further. Their combination of fundamental feisty groove and Creole soulfulness, Kiledjian’s canny detailing and Olivya Victorin’s peerless vocal looks set to carry on winning over heads, hands and feet.
Get your copy of ‘Tchenbé!’ by Dowdelin from your local record store or direct from Underdog Records HERE
